An endoscope is a medical device having a distal end that may be inserted into an internal body cavity to examine the body cavity. Conventional endoscopes include a camera that can be used to visualize the location at the distal end of the endoscope. A physician may use images produced by the camera to navigate the distal end to the desired treatment site and visualize the treatment site.
Conventional endoscopes also include one or more channels through which instruments may be inserted to perform a medical operation at the treatment site. One such instrument is a laser probe that can be used to perform a laser operation by discharging laser energy from a distal end at the treatment site. The laser operation may be used to, for example, ablate, cauterize, vaporize, coagulate, and cut tissue at the treatment site.
The camera of the endoscope is often used to visualize the laser operation being performed at the treatment site within the body cavity. In order to improve a clinician's ability to view the treatment site, camera filters designed to improve the visibility of the laser light, are typically used in combination with the camera of the endoscope.